The Big Four Oh
by FaithinBones
Summary: Booth's 40th birthday has arrived. This is a birthday story for casket4mytears. Her birthday is next Friday.


Happy birthday Casket4mytears. I hope you have a wonderful day Friday. This story is for you. I hope you enjoy it.

This story takes place after "The Change in the Game".

I don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooooo

Booth had watched Brennan walk down the platform steps with a promise to be right back. Bored, Booth walked over to where Hodgins had been sitting earlier and sat down. He was close enough to the examination table where Cam and Fisher were standing without actually having to look at the body.

Fiddling with his tie, Booth half listened to Cam and Fisher talking.

Fisher, amused at Booth's boredom, turned and remarked, "So Agent Booth. I hear that your 40th birthday is coming up this Friday. Congratulations for making it this far."

Frowning, Booth released his tie and looked up, "What the Hell does that mean?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Fisher didn't notice Cam trying to get his attention, "It's just that you were in the army during wartime and you've been shot at in the FBI. Also that brain tumor you had a couple of years ago was a close thing. It's a miracle you're still alive. God knows you should probably be dead or at the very least . . ."

Angry, Booth stood up and walked over to where Fisher was standing, "Listen Eeyore, I'm a professional and I know what the hell I'm doing. Luck and miracles have nothing to do with me being alive. As for my brain tumor, that is none of your damn business."

Seeing the anger on Booth's face, Fisher turned back to the body and noticed the anger in Cam's face, "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry. I was just making conversation."

Poking Fisher in the back, Booth replied, "Ok, Droopy, new rule. Don't talk to me when I'm around. The bodies are bad enough, I don't need you to help bring me down further. Got it?"

Smiling at Cam, Fisher replied, "Got it Agent Booth."

Oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Sitting in his office, Booth was trying to ignore the fact that the day marked his 40th year on the Earth. He hated the fact that everyone had the idea that he should be bummed out because he'd hit some "0" milestone. As a rule, his birthdays came and went and he ignored most of them. Very few people cared when his birthday rolled around and that was fine by him.

After his mother was gone, the only one that cared to remember that he even had a birthday was his grandfather. His father sure hadn't given a shit. While he was still living with his father all his birthdays had brought him were punches or a slap. His father would remember it was his birthday and become angry. Booth didn't know why and he gave up trying to figure that one out a long time a go.

While he'd lived with Pops, he'd been given a cake and some presents every year; but, he always refused to allow Pops to throw a party for him. He didn't need or want to celebrate his life.

After he'd moved out of Pop's home, Booth had kept his birthday a secret. He never told anyone when it was; so, he didn't have to deal with the unwanted attention. He treated his birthday like any other day and that was the way he wanted it.

After he'd started working with Brennan he'd found out when her birthday was and tried to do a little something for her every year. He had felt bad that no one bothered to do anything for her except Angela and he wanted her to feel like she was special. On the other hand, he tried his best to keep his birth date a secret from Brennan because he didn't want her to feel obligated to do something for him.

Imagine his surprise the first time he'd walked into the Founding Father's on his birthday and he'd found a birthday cake waiting for him as well as Cam, Hodgins, Angela and a few of the squints along with Brennan. Brennan had been so proud of her little surprise birthday party that Booth had been touched and had played along to make her happy. Every year, she arranged a surprise birthday party for him and every year he feigned surprise. She was the best friend he'd ever had and he would never dream of raining on her parade.

The year he'd been in Afghanistan had been the first year he'd missed Brennan's party for him and he'd felt strange. Even though he told himself that he hated to make a big deal about the day of his birth, some how he'd grown accustomed to Brennan making a big deal about it and when he suddenly found himself alone on his birthday, Booth had felt the sting of being forgotten by everyone but his son, Pops and Cam. He'd received three cards on that solitary birthday and none of them had been from Brennan.

At the time it seemed right to him. After all his father had told him when he was growing up that he wasn't special and he certainly didn't deserve to celebrate a date that was an accident. Seeley Joseph Booth wasn't special and except for the three people still in his life no one cared about his birthday including him.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

This was going to be his first birthday living with Brennan and he was very happy. He hadn't mentioned his birthday because the last birthday had been painful and bitter and he didn't want to celebrate that date any more. He was happy and he didn't need an artificial celebration to make him happier.

Walking out into the parking garage to get his truck, Booth had been surprised when he opened the driver's side door and found the inside of his truck filled with inflated black balloons. Staring at the balloons, Booth tried to figure out who would have done something that stupid. Sighing, Booth removed the balloons from the front seat and released them into the parking garage. Once the front seat was clear, Booth looked up to see the black balloons bobbing on the ceiling overhead. Smiling at the silliness of the situation, Booth entered his truck and drove over to the Jeffersonian.

Arriving at the Lab, Booth had gone to Brennan's office only to find it empty. Turning, Booth started his search of the Lab for Brennan. Looking up at the platform, Booth could see that no one was up there. Shrugging his shoulders, Booth walked over to the autopsy room. Seeing the door closed, Booth opened it and poked his head inside. Seeing the lights were off, Booth started to withdraw from the doorway when the lights overhead came on and several people screamed at him, "Happy birthday."

Startled, Booth jerked the door open and stared at the room and the people standing in it. The room had numerous black balloons bobbing along the ceiling, there were several skeletons on stands and there was a black cake resting on top of the autopsy table with several packages wrapped in black paper sitting next to the cake. As bizarre as the decorations were, the people attending this black themed party were even more bizarre. Everyone was dressed in a skeleton costume including Brennan.

Shaking his head, Booth moved into the room and looked around. His friends, laughing at the expression on his face raised glasses of wine and cola and cheered him. Blushing, Booth stared at Brennan, speechless.

Brennan, worried about Booth's expression, walked over to him and asked, "What's wrong Booth. I hope you didn't think I'd forgotten your birthday. I wanted it to be a surprise that's why I didn't give you a birthday greeting this morning."

Smiling, Booth wrapped his arms around Brennan and hugged her. Sighing, Booth straightened up and glanced around the room. "You didn't have to do this Bones. I don't really celebrate my birthday; so, you really didn't need to do this for me."

Shaking her head, Brennan kissed Booth and then turned and motioned for Hodgins to come closer.

"Hey, Booth, were you surprised? I mean we wanted it to be a surprise."

Smiling, Booth reached out his hand to shake Hodgins hand. Hodgins, surprised at Booth's gesture, grabbed Booth's hand and pumped it hard.

Booth, feeling like his arm was being manhandled, "Ok, Ok I'd like my hand back now."

Smiling, Hodgins asked, "So were you surprised when you opened the door on your truck?"

Frowning, Booth asked, "You did that? You know . . . "

Interrupting Booth, Brennan smiled, "I Googled milestone birthdays and I found out that black is usually a color theme for 40th and 50th birthdays. I wanted to honor tradition; so, I bought a lot of black balloons and Hodgins volunteered to put them in your truck for me. He and I thought you would find it amusing. We're you?"

Laughing, Booth snaked an arm around Brennan's waist and replied, "Yeah, amused would be the word I'd describe."

Smirking, Booth looked at Hodgins, "Thanks. It was nice of you to do that for Bones."

Nodding his head, Hodgins laughed, "Yeah, I had to get Charlie to help me. The parking garage is monitored pretty closely and I didn't want to end up under arrest for an act of vandalism or terrorism."

Brennan, staring at Booth's happy face, leaned against him, "Happy birthday Booth."

Smiling down at Brennan, Booth leaned his head against Brennan's head, "Thanks Bones. I love you. This is probably the happiest birthday I've ever had."

Beaming with pride, Brennan pointed to the cake, "Don't worry about the black icing. I tasted it and it tastes like vanilla."

Laughing, Booth glanced at the cake and then at Brennan, "Thank God, Bones. I wouldn't have wanted the black theme to have gone too far."

Laughing Hodgins remarked, "Yeah, I was going to make a joke cake and have it taste like dirt; but, Dr. B, Angela and Cam didn't think that was a good idea."

Smiling, Booth nodded his head, "You're lucky you're surrounded by smart women Hodgins. You really are. You'll live a lot longer if you listen to them."

Sipping his wine, Hodgins sighed, "God, don't I know it."

Ooooooooooooooooooo

Casket4mytears wanted something with Fisher in it and the B&B ship. She also wanted a dead Daisy; but, since I killed her in another story I didn't want to pile on. Reviews of course are welcome.


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